Can I?
by RebbieChan
Summary: Umbrella sharing cartinelli fluff


The soft sound of rain could be heard over the usual clatter of the automat. Peggy's eyes drifted from the clock to the glass doors. Maybe if she glared at the rain long enough it would get intimidated and let up long enough to get home without being completely drenched. She sighed, it didn't help that she was wearing a white top either.

"What a day, huh?" Angie said, moving around the counter. "One minute it's hotter than Hades out there, now I might as well take a _boat_ home."

Peggy smiled, "is there room for two?"

"For you, always." From the corner of her eye Angie spotted a customer waving her down. "just a sec." When she returned she patted Peggy's shoulder with her notepad. "You got a reason for your gloom cloud, English?"

"That would be the actual clouds, I left my umbrella at home."

A smile crawled across Angie's face. "So Miss Grandma Carter doesn't listen to the weather. I have to say, I'm surprised." She leaned across the counter. "Don't worry, I'm off in five."

Peggy didn't mind taking a little more time with her coffee, she would need the extra energy for the job she and Jarvis had later that night. She didn't mind waiting for Angie, when she would have been stuck either waiting longer or hailing a cab anyway. Especially so when half the reason she came in for dinner was because she knew Angie was working.

Soon, Angie disappeared into the back and returned with a raincoat and an umbrella in hand. She motioned for Peggy to come along. "Hurry, before my boss changes his mind on when my shift ends!"

"Well we can't have that." Peggy met her at the door.

Angie looked her over. "You didn't even bring a coat?"

"I ran late this morning," came Peggy's excuse. In reality her coat was hanging in her closet with bullet holes in it. This whole double-life thing was starting to get a little rough on her wardrobe. The moment they stepped outside however, she wouldn't have minded a few holes and a few questions.

"Consider yourself lucky," Angie said, "this past winter, Christmas Mass. I woulda slept through it and if I did I wouldn't be here today –the old man'd have my head! Or at least dragged me outta the city. Anyway, I was in such a rush I ran out in just a sweater and a hat. Swore I was going to catch frostbite."

"Alright, I'm lucky. I'd be hard pressed to catch frostbite in April." That didn't mean she wasn't chilly. Peggy linked arms with Angie, using her as a walking, talking heater.

It was nice walking like this, despite the cold. Peggy loved the rain and being so close with Angie wasn't bad either. They were like her grandparents, who always shared and umbrella. She smiled remembering her grandfather telling her he never carried his own because sharing was an excuse to hold her hand. She looked over to Angie, perhaps he was onto something there.

"Well it may not be snowing, but I have hot chocolate if you want when we get home," Angie offered.

It sounded wonderful, and she had a little time before she would have to meet Jarvis. "Then I'm double lucky."

Peggy held onto Angie, even as they entered The Griffith and no longer needed the extra warmth. It just felt nice and there was no direct reason to stop now. Angie was talking about her day sharing every detail, perhaps making up for the fact that she knew Peggy wouldn't delve much in depth into hers. She felt as if she could rest her head on the woman's shoulder and just listen for hours.

Angie kept her eyes on Peggy when they came to her room. Peggy acted like she didn't notice that she was nervous, even though the actress kept glancing over as if she would find her missing each time. It had been common curtesy that had led Angie to walk her home, but something else that to her smile when they linked arms and that smile wasn't really going away.

She did notice, though, and felt incredibly silly for it. And giddy. And Peggy knew Angie must have noticed her acting the same.

"Here," Angie handed her a mug.

"Thanks, Angie." Peggy murmured as she took a drink. Their knees bumped as she sat down with Angie on the bed. She stole a glance this time, only to find that Angie now seemed to be trying to ignore it.

Angie always seemed to have so much to say, but now suddenly things were quiet. Not uncomfortably quiet, a nice quiet and again she felt as if she could just rest her head and fall asleep right there with her. Peggy felt this and yet there was a wonderful thump in her chest and a squirm in her belly and she was only halfway certain she was entirely ridiculous for it all.

She placed her mug down next to Angie's. Peggy was feeling a little warm now and had insisted to herself it just had to do with the hot chocolate and not the charming young woman next to her. She moved to place her hand down by her side and found that she had accidentally, or subconsciously she wasn't quite certain, placed her hand over Angie's.

They locked eyes and she must have been redder than the jar of tomato sauce on Angie's counter. It all seemed to click how close they were and where they were and it was entirely not on purpose and yet here she was locking their fingers together and staring into her eyes as if she couldn't look away.  
Now the silence wasn't quite so comfortable. Now it was like a searing flame or the edge of a knife. Angie looked down ever so slightly and leaned forward just barely.

"Can I kiss you?" Angie asked in a whisper. Her cheeks flushed and she suddenly seemed to find a particular interest in a loose thread from her blanket. She kept her fingers intertwined with Peggy's.

Peggy tensed up. Sure they had both made it nearly obvious that they liked each other more than friends, but she hadn't really expected either of them to do much about it. She was caught off guard and they were so close and Angie had her hand in hers smelling of coffee and burnt food and if she didn't say something now the poor girl was about right to make a joke of it and pretend this moment didn't happen. "Yes," Peggy breathed. Angie looked back up at her, half hopeful half unsure she heard right. "You may," she felt hot and scared, more so than in any back alley brawl, "kiss me."

Angie gave the smallest of nods. Peggy couldn't help but smile at how serious she looked, despite knowing that she probably looked like a deer in the headlights in return.

She leaned forward, moving her free hand with her. Angie didn't seem to know where to put it and so Peggy guided it to rest on her knee. Then their lips touched and it was nothing much for a kiss but it was soft an wonderful and very much reminded her of her first kiss as a girl.

Angie drew back. Their eyes opened and she felt like her heart was beating throughout her body, loud enough that all the women of The Griffith could hear.

"Could I kiss you agai-?"

"Yes," Peggy responded before she could finish asking the question.

Their second kiss was a little less shy, just about as cautious and altogether not that much better than the first. Angie moved her hand to Peggy's waist and held on like a kid who wasn't sure they should have been given the right to hold a baby. Still Peggy kissed her back as if she were scared she would break and squeezed her hands as if they were the only things keeping her upright.

As they pulled away she felt breathless despite it all. Peggy wanted another and this time a real one and half if not most of her wanted to pull the woman into her lap and say yes to any damn thing she asked for.

She had caught the time on the clock behind her, though, and she was to be meeting Mr. Jarvis in a half hour.

"Uhm," her voice caught in her throat. Peggy stood up and caught her heel on the bedpost, stumbling like a drunken idiot. "Thank you for this," her eyes veered everywhere around the room as to avoid her lipstick smudged over Angie's lips or the look of startled disappointment in her eyes, "and for the drink and for walking with me." She spoke as she backed towards the door. "H-have a good rest of your evening." She turned fast out the door.

Peggy didn't waste time as she entered her room, going about in search of what she would need. She was in such a flustered rush that she almost forgot to fix her makeup. As she passed Angie's room in her jaunt downstairs, Peggy worried that she made the wrong impression when she left.

That feeling stuck with her on through the night, to the point of Mr. Jarvis asking her if she was alright and on through the next day where Thompson teased her for being out of it and Daniel spent a portion of his day trying to get her to smile. All she had to do, Peggy figured, was set matters straight.

After work, remembering that Angie had the morning shift that day, she went straight up to Angie's room and knocked on the door. "In a minute!" Angie called through the door.

As she waited, she grew more and more sheepish about her departure the night before. Angie might be upset with her, like when she initially refused to stay at the Griffith or when she continually ditched her when she first moved in or…Peggy realized she had made a habit leaving her cut and dry. It was a wonder that Angie kept on being her friend.

Angie opened the door, not surprised at all to see her. If anything she was embarrassed. Peggy could be there for one of two reasons really, either to tell her that last night was a mistake or the opposite and considering her exit – Angie likely assumed the prior. "Peggy," she looked down at her feet and rubbed the back of her neck. She glanced up, hopeful, "what brings you here?"

It crossed her mind in that moment that there was a chance that Angie felt it had been a mistake. "I…" she started carefully, "was just wondering. Would you, by chance," While both trying to avoid the other, they made eye contact. Angie gave a small half smile and Peggy reflected it in spite of herself. "Want to kiss me again?"


End file.
